Toothbrush



Oct. 6, 1931. J. M. ACHESON' TOOTHBRUSH Filed Feb. 4, 1929 ATTORNE Patented Get. 6, 1931 UNETEZE g'iATES PATEN GFFECE TOGETHER-USE Application filed February 4, 1929. a Serial No. 387,344.

This invention relates to brushes and a mode for their manufacture, and pertains especially to .tooth brush structure.

An object of this invention is to provide a tooth brush incorporating a handle device and a brush of rubber bound strands; the latter being of such very low cost that the user is encouraged to throw such a bundle away after one use in brushing the teeth.

Other objects, features and advantages of construction and combination, and the method of manufacture will be made manifest in the ensuing description of the herewith illustrative embodiment of the concept; it being understood that modifications, varia tions and adaptations may be resorted to within the spirit, scope and principle of the invention as it is hereinafter claimed.

Figure 1 is a perspective of a hank of strands illustrative of the cutting step to forma bunch of strands.

Figure 2 is a prepared strand unit or bound bundle of strands.

Figure 3 is a perspective of a tooth brush as ready for use.

Figure 4c is an end view thereof.

Figure 5 is a bottom plan of the closed handle parts of the brush; the bundle being omitted.

Figure 6 is an inner face view of open gripping jaws of the handle.

Figure 7 is a cross-section of the handle at its pivot.

Figure 8 is a section on line 88 of F ig. 5.

Figure 9 is a section showing the compressed bundle of strands.

The brush is made of strands S of any appropriate material; as animal or vegetable filaments cleaned and combed. The strands are cut from a hank H into bunches A of any desired length: the dimensions of the bunch being determined only by those of the ultimate brush body. This body is preferably somewhat less in thickness and in length than that of the common permanent-set brush commercially available, for the purpose of economy.

Each cut bunch A is bound by a soft rubber band 2 whose normal size (when free) will be such as to contract the bunch A into a more or less circular bundle B of such density that While the strands cannot slip endwise out of place they can be easily squashed to form an elongated body in a gripping device, as two-part handle having opposed, squeezing jaws 4: and 5, the handle parts 4 and 5 having diametrical meeting faces 6, and are pivoted on a pin 7 perpendicular thereto.

The effective inner faces 8 and 9 of the jaws are substantially parallel to the axis of the handle when closed so as to squeeze the interposed brush unit or bundle B of floating strands to a flat brush body form C.

One jaw, as 4:, has a backing ledge 10 overhanging its face 8 and approaching the face 9 of the opposed jaw, but not engaging it (when closed), and this jaw 4 is also shown as having an end nose 11 reaching across the closed jaw 5. Thus the'jaws 4 and 5 form an elongated, closed bottom chamber X to receive the butt or inner end of the interposed bundle B. s

The faces 8 and 9 of the jaws have opposite valleys 8 and 9 in which the rubber band registers and sinks when the jaws are closed. For the purpose of interlocking the bundle butt hard in place to prevent unintentional dislodgement the faces 8 and 9 have grooves forming flared shoulders 8"9 for the spreading of the strands of the butt of the bundle under pressure of the jaws. The eflective, flat portions of the faces 89 are squeezing bands clamping hard on the interposed bundle and causing the rounded mass of strands to float endwise along the chamber X as the jaws come to close position on the bundle. The remote ends of the chamber X delimit the expansion of the brush body C.

It will be seen that a considerable number of the bundle units can be sold in a commercial package at a very low cost. The user purchasing a package of body forming units B will insert the rubber bound or butt end of one in the jaws and close the handles to compress the bundle to body form as defined by the chamber X. After one use the soiled bundle is discarded from the handle and this is thoroughly cleaned and dried in readiness for subsequent insertion of another, fresh bundle. lVhen the jaws are opened all of their surfaces are wholly exposed for cleanshat is claimed is:

1. A tooth brush structure comprising, in combination a bodily insertible and bodily demountable bundle of strands which are held together by a rubber band which permits the cluster to be readily flattened in a direction transverse to the strands, and a handle de vice comprising a pair of semi-cylindrical complementary members meeting face to face scissors-fashion on an axial plane and pivotally connected medially across the axis and having handle portions at one end and at the opposite end parts provided with elongated, jaw faces each of which are re cessed to receive the said band when the jaws are closed thereon, and one of said jaw end parts having a backing ledge closing over the butt of the inserted bundle oi strands.

2. tooth brush structure comprising, in combination a bodily insertible and bodily demountable bundle of strands which are held together by a rubber band which permits the cluster to be readily flattened in a direction transverse to the strands, and a handle device comprising a pair of semi-cylindrical complen'lentary members meeting face to face scissors-fashion on an axial plane and pivo'tally connected medially across the axis and having handle portions at one end and at the opposite end parts provided with elongated, jaw faces each of which are recessed to receive the said band when the jaws are closed thereon, and one of said jaw end parts having a backing ledge clos ing over the butt of the inserted bundle of strands; one of the jaws having a nose end bridging across the closed opposite jaw.

JAMES M. ACHESON. 

